Archive for the “Sudden Darkness” Category

I’m thrilled to show you the cover for Glimmering Light, coming out in March from Covenant Communications.

I don’t believe it gives away too much to tell you that the cover depicts Zack Allman. The story features alternating points of view between Amèlie and Zack, so when you look at it this way:

It sort of all makes sense.

My favorite part is the way the designer took a modern day view of a Salt Lake City street and made it desolate. Cool!

Covers for me give me so much anxiety since I don’t get to give input on them. I was ever so nervous to see this cover but the more I look at it, the more it grows on me. Neither of the main characters look quite like I pictured them but I realize that would be pretty much impossible. So I’m excited. It’s happening!

(Inside joke: perhaps there is a red bicycle in that street scene somewhere)

Sunday, November 18, my husband and I are doing a fireside in Bellevue. He’s in the Tabernacle Choir and will talk about some of his experiences. I’ll chime in, without promoting my book because, ew.

Should be fun! I can’t wait to see old friends (I grew up in the Kennewick area) and meet new ones. There’s a nice feeling of Full Circle, since the road between Utah and Washington plays a huge role in my book.

Wow, so many firsts. My first time on a podcast! My friend Scott Taylor, “The Bald Chronicler,” invited me to participate on his latest edition. I answer a few questions and then read aloud the first scene from Sudden Darkness.

I’m kinda shy about it, but here’s the link. (Is that what I really sound like?)

If I got the story straight (I was a bit muddled from excitement), he is doing a dissertation comparing Mormon YA lit and Jewish YA lit. He remembered Kathy talking about my book and asked if he could read it. She fetched him a copy. (Even though it isn’t out yet, she has the Power.)

Then, he proceeded to gobble it in one day. He wouldn’t put it down. He took it to the bathroom and didn’t come out for a half hour. His adult son was visiting and got ignored, because Dad was busy reading. He loved it! He asked her to find out if I was writing a sequel.

Sudden Darkness
Margot Hovley
“Brothers and sisters, may I have your attention,” President Green said into the megaphone. I held my breath. What would he say next? At that moment, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d said the moon was scheduled to turn to blood next Tuesday night. “As you know, alarming events are unfolding. People are scared and confused. Life as we have known it will never be the same, it seems.”
The news has been filled with stories of tragedy and turmoil. But world events like the recent bombings in London seem far removed from eighteen-year-old Amélie Hatch’s quiet life in Zillah, Washington. She’s content with the predictable pattern of her life—school, friends, work. But when Amélie’s father leaves on a mysterious Church assignment, concerns escalate as the family is left with few answers.
Then, in the span of moments, Amélie’s world erupts in chaos. Terrorists have attacked the US power grid. There is no electricity. Vehicles have ceased working. The nuclear facility at nearby Hanford is compromised, and radiation may be flooding the area. Without the guidance of their father, Amélie’s family faces a monumental task at the request of the leaders of the Church: members of their stake have been asked to walk to Utah, where they will find safety in Zion.
Fleeing her home and the life she knows, Amélie sets off on the arduous journey toward the refuge of Utah. There is danger around every corner as the group faces gunfire, kidnapping, and new terrorist threats. And as she finds herself drawn to two very different young men, Amélie recognizes a more personal peril—she’s in danger of losing her heart.